According to recent reports, the Blaugrana have lost a legal battle that will see the Spaniard lose his status as a permanent first-team player.

In the latest battle between Barcelona and La Liga, the Catalan giants have lost a case surrounding teenage sensation Gavi and his contract situation at Camp Nou, with the club being at risk of losing him for free this summer.

The 18-year-old Spaniard, who won the 2022 Kopa Trophy, has established himself as a key figure in Xavi's midfield. Despite his young age, the trust has paid off, with the Blaugrana stealing a 12-point lead at the top of the table thanks to their rejuvenated midfield as well as their unrivaled defense.

As a result, the teenager was rewarded with a new deal back in September worth four years with a €1BN release clause. However, Barcelona's attempts to register his contract have sparked disputes with the league organizers.

Gavi was registered as an academy player when he signed his new deal but the goal was to change that and enlist him as a first-team member. However, that can only be done during the transfer windows, and come January, La Liga argued that Barcelona were at their salary limit and thus couldn't pull this off.

In late January, the Catalan giants sought a legal ruling and secured an early victory. On January 31, the court ordered a temporary junction that forced La Liga to register Gavi before another case could start to find a permanent solution.

However, 20 days were given for that case to be filed yet Barcelona submitted documents for this case on March 3. As a result, La Liga disputed this, arguing that the Blaugrana missed the deadline, and according to the Athletic, the court has ruled in favor of the Spanish Primera Division.

The temporary junction that awarded Gavi first-team status has been lifted, with the league set to revert the Spaniard's status back to an academy player. The top-flight leaders are set to appeal this decision as this latest development presents them with two major headaches.

The first is in relation to a clause in the deal Gavi signed back in September. It stipulated that had the club failed to register him as a first-team player by June 30, 2023, then the teenager would be able to leave Camp Nou for free. Given the rumored interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich in the 18-year-old, Barcelona might have to fight hard to keep ahold of their player.

It should be noted that the midfielder appears committed to Xavi's side. However, there is another — possibly even more worrying — issue. The Catalan giants' failure to register Gavi as a first-team player means that they will have to clear space on their wage bill this summer in order to accomplish this.

Given the extent Laporta and Co. went to last summer to register the likes of Kounde, Lewandowski, and Raphinha, the Spanish giants could be in for a rough time once again.